For more than two decades, Father Jay Fostner has worked at St. Norbert College in Wisconsin. First joining the institution as a counselor, he now serves as the vice president for mission and student affairs. In this capacity, Father Jay Fostner is responsible for everything from overseeing campus safety to promoting student development.

College students don’t all develop at the same pace. While some seamlessly transition from dependence to independence, others struggle with fitting in or finding their place. These differences are explained by student development theory, an examination into how students grow and develop during their time in college. This theory is divided into four broad categories, one of which involves psychosocial theories.

Psychosocial theories explain how people grow during their lives, and look at how students define themselves and their lives. While there are a few psychosocial theories of student development, perhaps the most well known is that of Arthur Chickering. Chickering’s theory lays out seven stages of development that students move through as they attend college. For most students, the first four stages are tackled during the first two years in college, while the last three stages are seen during a student’s last two years.

The seven stages identified by Chickering begin with developing competence. During this stage, students become more interpersonally and intellectually competent, while also advancing their physical and manual skills. From there, students learn to manage emotions, become autonomous, develop mature relationships, and establish identities. These four stages involve such things as increasing emotional freedom and developing interpersonal tolerance.

Finally, students develop purpose and integrity. These stages help students develop career goals and personalize values.